Half Blind
by Kanan
Summary: Lavi's eyes have seen many things, but what happens when he sees something that hasn't happened yet? Can he prevent a tragedy, or is it only a matter of time? My first dgm fic, so be nice...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Just putting it out there, everyone: I do NOT own D. Gray Man in any way shape or form… no matter how sexy… -emo- ! .; Er, I mean, enjoy the fic! ^^;;;

Half Blind~

They say seeing is believing, that if you can see something with your own two eyes, you can't possibly deny something's existence or truth. For someone like a bookman, who wanders the world specifically to see what others do not, life can be hard. That's because… you end up seeing a lot of things that you can't un-see. They linger in your mind, following you wherever you go, taunting you, haunting you, and you might find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, screaming. "Why couldn't I prevent this" you'd ask the darkness; but you'd never get an answer.

Lavi tossed and turned in his sleep, moaning softly. Blood flashed across the screen behind his eyelids, painting a grotesque portrait of battles long since passed. He writhed in his sheets, silently begging the memories to leave him, but they kept coming one after the other. Over time, many people asked about his right eye, but not once did he answer. The truth was too sad and horrible to admit. For that eye…only saw death. Then, in a flash, the battles changed, and familiar faces invaded his dreams. They were calm and happy at first; smiling, laughing, having a good time.. In the next moment, though, there was more blood. He saw the faces of his friends as they lie beaten and broken around him. He remembered all the difficult battles, and how hurt his comrades had gotten. They'd just barely managed to escape death on so many occasions… Lavi held his head. He was standing above his friends' unmoving bodies, trying to call them back to the world of the living, but none of them moved.

"No… stop it…! They lived! I know they did! Stop it!!" He turned, trying to avoid the sight of them, and instead, was faced with another.

"…Allen…?"

He was standing right in front of him, eyes wide as saucers with tears rolling down his face. Lavi couldn't understand what he was seeing. This wasn't something he'd seen before, so he couldn't explain it… that, or why he was sweating, breathing heavy, and why his arms felt heavy… Curious, he looked down… only to see his hammer. It made no sense why he would have it activated, or have it… Lavi gasped. The very tip of his hammer was dripping blood… Allen's blood.

"L…Lavi…" Allen sputtered, blood escaping through the hole in his stomach and flooding out his mouth. Lavi couldn't believe what was happening… startled, he took a step back, pulling the sharpened tip out of his friend's body, causing blood to spray all over.

"Allen… Allen, I…" The boy didn't respond. He tried to speak, reached out, but collapsed.

"A-Allen? ALLEN!!!"

--

Lavi awoke with a start, screaming at the top of his lungs until his voice was raw. Tears streamed over his cheeks and his breath came in short gasps as his room started to fade back into view. His hands shook and his lower lip quivered as he remembered what he had seen. What did it mean? What was happening to him? Or maybe… what was _**going**_ to happen? He couldn't stand it. Each time he tried to relax and go back to sleep, Allen's shocked and pained expression would come back to haunt him. He finally reached his limit and couldn't take it. He threw the sheets off his trim body, slipped on some shoes and left. He didn't want to take te chance of waking any of his friends, but he wouldn't settle for walking. He sprinted all the way to a certain door, knocking harder than he intended to. When the door opened, he was panting again.

"Ji ji…" Bookman appeared calm, almost as if he'd been expecting him, and let him in without hesitation. Still shaky, Lavi took a seat on the untouched bed and grabbed a pillow, clutching it tight. Lavi's unease was more than obvious, and bookman handed him a cup of tea before seating himself on a nearby armchair. He gave the redhead a moment to take a drink and calm down before questioning him.

"What is it, Lavi? Did the dreams come back?" He nodded.

"I don't have them every night, but when I do, I can't stop them… They attack me left and right, and no matter how hard I try I can't-" He was starting to lose it.

"Calm down… take deep breaths." Bookman instructed, calmly. He'd seen lavi shaken up before, but to see him like this after so long… Lavi took another drink of the tea, trying his best not to spill any and sighed, setting a hand over his eye patch.

"I can't stand it, Ji ji… Why do I have to see these things…?"

"Mm… you're unique Lavi. That's why."

"Ch'… stupid reason…" He tried to perk up, to joke around, but the second he closed his eyes, the image came back and his eyes shot open. His hand clutched his head harder and Bookman narrowed his eyes at him.

"What did you see, Lavi?"

"….Something I didn't want to see… It was something new, Ji ji. It hasn't even happened…"

"…A premonition?" At that, Lavi jumped. Had he actually seen something that has yet to happen? Then, that would mean… He shook his pounding head; he wouldn't believe it! Lavi was really starting to freak out, and Bookman sighed. He got up, retrieved one of his needles and hid it in his sleeve as he approached his successor.

"Finish your tea, Lavi. You'll feel better once it's gone."

Lavi nodded his head and quickly downed the rest of the drink. When he was finished, he failed to notice the residue of white powder still sticking to the bottom of it. He held out his hand to hand it back, but his mind reeled, whole body going numb. The cup fell and Lavi fell back onto the bed, eyes blurring. Bookman came closer, quietly.

"Ji ji… my head… hurts…" Bookman sat next to him and brought out his needle. Lavi saw it in his swimming vision and closed his eyes as it was placed strategically into his forehead. Almost right away, the pain in his head started to fade. The old panda's needles sure were handy, he thought, drifting off.

"Arigatou…Ji ji…"

"Sleep well."

Lavi was out instantly, the drug having taken its full effect. Removing his needle,

Bookman sighed. Sometimes, the only way to calm Lavi down was to drug him and give him a night of dreamless sleep. The young apprentice hadn't explained what kind of vision he had seen, but to rise such a disturbing reaction, it must have been bad. He hoped, for Lavi's sake, that it was just a bad dream.


	2. Chapter 2

All the images, all the faces, the blood the screams… even in his dreamless sleep, they didn't leave him. They tortured him relentlessly, but nothing more horrific than the sight of his dear friend dying. No, he wasn't just dying… he was being murdered right in front of him, by him… Lavi didn't want to see this, but he couldn't look away. Death was nothing new to him, so why did this death hurt him so? Tears stung his eyes and his nails clawed into his skull as he covered his ears, attempting to block out the weakening, pained sound of Allen's voice. Lavi…Lavi… No, he didn't want to hear it…! Lavi…L-Lavi… getting fainter now, but still clear. It stung to hear his name called so cruelly and he yelled out.

"No…stop it…stop it Allen… just stop…! Stop it!"

Lavi…Lavi…!

"Lavi!"

That noise wasn't pained or weak, and it was that voice, coupled with the loud banging on his door, that awoke Lavi from his nightmare. At the time, he wasn't thinking who was calling him, or the fact that he was back in his room after passing out in another; but he stood up, simply grateful that he'd been rescued from his dreams. When he opened his door, however, it was Allen's surprised face that he met. Lavi almost gasped. Allen was stunned, looking at him in such a peculiar way, but it reminded him of what he'd seen. However, he'd obviously surprised his comrade, and he put his own thoughts aside and gave him a goofy grin.

"Oi, Moyashi! Mornin'!"

"My name is ALLEN." He corrected the redhead, a vein bulging on his temple. Lavi stuck out his tongue at this, ceasing his teasing.

"Hai, hai, I remember! So, what's up? You need something?"

"Actually, Komui wants to see us."

"…Us? You and me? ….And Yu?" But Allen shook his head. Lavi's heart rattled.

"No, just you and me. I think we have an assignment."

"A…Ah. Okay, um… gimme a sec and I'll get ready."

"Okay!" Allen smiled, then.

Lavi softly closed his door and stood with his back against it, a hand moving to his mouth. A mission…? Just the two of them…? No, Lavi didn't want to think about that. His dream was just a dream, no matter how real it seemed! Despite his attempts at remaining calm, his hands were shaking again. But it wasn't the images, the dream, per say… it was Allen's smile. Something about it seemed unreal, and foreshadowed tough times ahead. Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts from his mind once again and began getting dressed.

"…Although," he began, talking to himself. "If it wasn't just a dream…" His eyes trailed along the wall and to the window, showing a cloudy sky. "…I'll protect him. I swear I'll keep him here with us…"

Lowering his gaze, Lavi had to laugh at himself.

"Talking to myself like a nutcase… Ji ji would mock me!" He grinned to himself as he got what he needed and met up with Allen. The boy was in high spirits, and rambled on about what he had for breakfast all the way to Komui's office; which, for those of you who don't know, is a rather lengthy walk. (.; ) After a minute, they were let into the room and sat down by each other in front of the paper-stacked desk. Komui was reviewing a file, but his silence wasn't comforting.

"We have a rather disturbing case this go around, boys." Lavi tensed slightly.

"I'm sure whatever it is, we can handle it. Ne, Lavi?" Allen smiled again. This time, Lavi had no choice but to look him in the face and smile back. It was difficult…

"Good. I'm glad you boys are up to the task! Now, you have a carriage waiting nearby, good luck!" This was a little odd… Usually, Komui would explain the mission before rushing them out of his office, but Komui, himself, was a complicated person, and they'd long since stopped being phased by his random behavior. The boys grabbed the file and took their suitcases out to the location nearby to meet the carriage. Once they were situated, they had nothing better to do than talk and discuss the case. Well, it was mostly Allen who spoke. Lavi was keeping himself alert for anything unusual or dangerous. He swore, after all, that he would keep this boy from harm, and he didn't intend to let his guard down for anything.

"Lavi?"

The redhead's head snapped up to look at Allen once again. He'd let his thoughts wander too much and had no idea what was going on.

"Are you okay, Lavi? You look distant." So observant…

"Ah, gomen, Allen! Didn't sleep much last night is all."

"I'm sorry to hear that…" He looked hurt there… It was cute, but made something in Lavi's heart clench and twist. Allen suddenly leaned towards him.

"I bet there's a nice inn in the town we're going to, so you can take a nap!"

"You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea! Wanna sleep together?"

In the next moment, the only sound that could be heard was that of a boot making contact with Lavi's face. The finder driving the coach tried not to get involved with the scary, moody teen exorcists.


	3. Chapter 3

The little town was quiet… quieter than it should have been. It was midday and the streets were nearly empty. Those who were walking about didn't speak, and looked at each other with contempt and suspicion as if they expected them to turn and stab them in the back. That was not actually too far from the truth, according to the report. Lavi looked around at everyone as he walked beside Allen, who was summarizing what he had read in the file.

"Apparently, two months ago, the townspeople started to act strangely, and several times, they'd find the remains of one or two in the streets. According to the medical reports and the wounds on their bodies, they'd killed each other without hesitation."

"Murdered each other…?" Lavi questioned with a chill. "Was there a disagreement like land ownership or anything?"

"None that investigators could find. According to the families, the ones who killed each other were all good friends."

"That's awful…"

Lavi's dream was making him nervous, and the coincidence in the case was nerve wracking. He glanced at Allen, who was looking around sadly at the poor, scared people. He had such a big heart… maybe too big to have to do the things an exorcist did. Allen sighed, his stomach giving off a loud grunt. This made Lavi laugh.

"Hungry again, Allen?" He blushed.

"I can't help it!"

"Hai, hai," he shrugged, leading them off towards a small pub. It wasn't exactly the place for kids, but no other restraints were in view, and surely they would have food. As they walked in, several cautious eyes were on them, sizing them up. In such a small town, it wasn't unusual that the townspeople weren't used to outsiders. Lavi could ignore them, though, and picked an empty spot near the door to sit. He motioned Allen, who looked unsure and a little uneasy in the crowd, to sit by him, then hailed a waitress.

"How may I help you…" She said in a tone that was uncaring.

"We'll get as much food as you can bring, honey!" Lavi looked her over. She was lean, maybe too much, but her skin was soft and hair tied up in a loose pontytail. If he had been thinking, he would have been all over her. The waitress didn't like being stared at, so she quickly left to place their orders. After that, and all until when their food came, the eyes of the tough-looking men in the pub were on them. Allen fidgeted in his seat, trying not to stand out any, but when you've got white hair, a flying golem, and a strange Black Order coat, it was hard to remain unnoticed. But, when food was placed in front of him, he was able to focus more on that instead of the stares.

When he wasn't looking, Lavi made sure to return those hard looks with one of his own. He didn't like being glared at, and with his guard up, he wouldn't let anyone pick on Allen or himself. He was on high alert, given the nature of the case. But he was also quite tired. The night before didn't refresh him as well as he thought it would, and being tough all the time got tiring quickly. He shook his head and ate slowly, trying to build up his energy, but it was still exhausting. Finally, he set his fork down and rested his head on his hand. Allen caught this motion and looked worriedly at him, food sticking to his face.

"Lavi? Are you okay?"

"Yeah… I just have a headache is all."

Allen then went searching through his suitcase and a small pill bottle came into Lavi's line of sight a few second later. He blinked at it and looked at his companion.

"Eh?"

"It's asprin. It should help with your head." He said with a smile. Lavi was more than gracious, taking the bottle. He was out of water, though, and he didn't want to leave Allen alone, but…

"Allen, I'm gonna hit the toilet, you need to go?" Allen shook his head, getting back to his meal. It seemed like a bad idea, but he did feel like he needed to get away, even just for a moment. So, deciding to take the risk, he stood up and walked to the bathroom. He didn't really have to go and instead went to the sink to splash water over his face. It refreshed him slightly, and he sighed, hanging his head. Little water droplets fell from his hair into the off-white sink, echoing in his ears and drowning out all other sound. Water can be comforting, he thought to himself, trying to relax his mind, but this dripping sound was getting annoying. Slowly he looked up at his reflection in the mirror, seeing for just a moment, that look on his friend's face again.

Why? Why wouldn't the image leave him? he knew, as a Jr. Bookman, that time went on and people leave, so why was he so worried? …Truth was, he really did care. He had real friends for the first time, and he… he wanted to keep them. It was really true, then, what he'd heard from someone a decade ago in a rusty old town up north. "The more you have, the more it hurts." Because it would hurt to lose what's precious to you, he mused. It hurt…. But he wouldn't let it happen. He wouldn't let anything happen! Lavi splashed his face once more, dried off, and took a couple of the asprin he'd been given before other sounds started reaching his ears. They were raised voices from the pub, and then he heard it: the call of his voice. Lavi put his headband back on quickly and jolted back to the pub.

"Allen!"

Almost all of the men had gotten up from their seats and had Allen cornered. Allen looked kind of scared, but tried to reason with the men.

"I swear! I'm just a traveler! Honest!"

"Yeah right! I bet you're here to cause trouble!" One of the men accused.

"We've had enough problems around here, not being able to trust our closest friends, so why should we trust you, huh?"

"I….er.. L-Lavi…" He whined, unable to come up with an answer. The men were getting closer, holding various objects which, no doubt, would hurt if he was hit with them. Not knowing what else to do, and not wanting to fight normal humans, he put his arms over his head, preparing for a blow. The men raised their arms and the sound of something connecting rang through the air, Allen winced. Only, he didn't feel anything. He stayed like that for a moment longer before chancing a glance ahead of him. What he saw was surprising.

"Lavi!" The redhead was in front of him, shielding him with his hammer. Many of the men looked shocked, but some of them only seemed even more angered.

"Ne, Allen, getting into trouble already?" The boy laughed sarcastically. It really was funny, somehow, but caught up in his thoughts, Lavi almost forgot their current situation. He looked back just in time to duck another attack and block another. Though they were big, strong-looking men, they were big, strong, DRUNK men, so it wasn't that much of a challenge to keep up with them. However, sooner or later, he knew the-

"What is going on here?!"

Speak of the devil… the manager stepped out into the main pub and threw warning glares around at everyone. Allen sighed.

"Finally… maybe he'll listen to reason!"

Not likely. When asked who started the fight, all fingers pointed at the kids, and they were immediately and literally tossed out onto the hard ground in front of the pub. Soon, the air inside seemed to clear, but the exorcists weren't pleased. Allen stood and dusted himself off, sighing agitatedly to himself while Lavi stayed down, fixing his hair.

"Honestly! That's no way to treat visitors! Especially young ones like us! How rude!" He was ranting, and something about it was just so cute… and hilarious. Before he knew it, Lavi was flat on his back, laughing like a madman. Allen threw him a disappointed look, but brushed it off.

"Allen, you're so funny! But yeah," he agreed, standing up as well. "That was rather rude of them. And so much for asking about the case."

"Yeah… they don't seem to be too willing to talk to us. But I mean, if you can't even trust those you're closest to, how can you trust complete strangers…?"

Allen's voice trailed off, then, in a very dramatic way. Sometime, you never really knew someone. Allen was a very emotional guy, and there were so many levels to him, it could sometimes get hard to figure out what he was thinking. Sighing, Lavi rubbed the back of his head, and almost immediately, he felt a chilling droplet fall onto his hand. Both exorcists looked up as a light shower started to come down on top of them.

"Rain…?"

"Aw, man… that sucks." They both sighed. The case would have to wait, for now, they needed to find a place to stay and wait out the rain.


	4. Chapter 4

"Achoo!"

Allen wiped at his nose for the umpteenth time, staring grumpily out at the rain falling not two feet in front of him. Due to their scuffle at the pub and the town's previous insecurities about outsiders, none of the inns in town would permit them to stay. The best they could find was an old shed with a leaky metal roof and half-broken door. At the least the hay littering the floor was mostly dry, even though it was still pretty cold. Allen pulled his coat closer around him, trying to block out another gust of wind, and Lavi looked over, his scarf wrapped even more tightly around his neck.

"This isn't fair… we're trying to help them, and they leave us out here!" Lavi half-smiled.

"Well, we did start a fight. And sometimes, you'll find, people just don't want to be helped." The younger looked over.

"Don't want to be helped? Why wouldn't they want help?"

"Hmm… it's hard to say, exactly. Human beings are difficult creatures." He said, rubbing his head. The conversation was bringing up some more memories, and he was trying his hardest to forget them, to push them to the back of his mind. So, to occupy himself, he stared at his young companion. The boy was huddled up as much as he could get, but he was still shivering. You'd think with the layers he wore under his coat that he'd be warm, but some people were just not as used to the cold as others. Lavi had been traveling for a long time, so the cold didn't bother him as much anymore, but seeing Allen shivering like that wasn't good, and he stood up. Allen didn't know he'd even moved until he felt Lavi slide up to sit behind him, suddenly pulling him back against him. His face flushed bright red as he looked up at his friend. Lavi was just wearing that goofy grin of his.

"You look cold there! Lemme help ya out, buddy!" Lavi pulled up Allen's hood and wrapped his long scarf around him, tying them together, and finally wrapped his arms tightly about him. The youth was still unbelievably red, but despite the awkwardness of their position, he did feel warmer. Almost right away, he felt his muscles relaxing and his eyes falling softly closed.

"Arigatou…Lavi…" Lavi smiled down as the boy fell asleep against his chest, content and warm. Something about Allen made each person he met want o smile and laugh and have a good time, and watching him sleep begged for a smile. So Lavi gave it.

"Night, Allen. We'll get to work once the rain stops." Allen nodded in his sleep, earning a chuckle from Lavi. This kid was just too funny! But his breath suddenly caught in his throat, feeling Allen turn. He moved to the side only slightly to press his cheek against Lavi's chest, lightly grasping the front of his coat. This position was slightly more intimate-feeling, and Lavi couldn't hold back a blush, himself. Nevertheless it felt… nice. He'd never let himself get so close to anyone, so this was a nice change of pace. Sighing, he wrapped his arms around the boy again letting his eyes close also.

"I'll protect you…"

But he was careless. He let his guard down and fell asleep where the nightmares were waiting for him. The same images from before came back, only they seemed far more real, like they were really happening. The only indication he could find to prove it was only a dream was that in some way, he could feel the warmth of the boy's body, his living body, against him. When the warmth suddenly, left however, hope left him. He fell to his knees, not even bothering to wonder why his leg was hurting, hands firmly pressed over his ears as screams erupted from out of nowhere. There were sounds of explosions, people in panic, and he couldn't tell where they were coming from. And then there was Allen, dying on the ground in front of him. Lavi… Lavi… it called over and over, voice weakening.

"No… stop it.., please stop… Allen, don't do this to me… please!"

"Lavi!"

The sudden yell was enough to wake him, and Lavi quickly sat up, body barely holding onto the residual warmth. For some reason, though he was awake, the screaming and other noises hadn't gone away, and Allen was on his kneeling by the doorway, looking out. It was still raining slightly, but not as bad as before. Allen's eye was… Shaking his head, Lavi wrapped his scarf back around him and stood up.

"Akuma?" He nodded, looking about. Some of the buildings weren't as intact as they had been when they fell asleep.

"I can't pinpoint where it is, though. It's moving too fast to follow!"

"We'll have to try to slow it down, then, wont we?" He nodded, getting back to his feet. But something didn't feel right. The building next to the shed suddenly exploded, making the ground shake. Allen struggled to stay on his feet, but he caught the sound of debris falling, and in a panic, grabbed Lavi's hand and pulled.

"Lavi, look out!"

Dust flew about as stone and debris rolled off what was left of the collapsed shed. The two exorcists coughed and groaned, just barely escaping being crushed by the collapse. Allen sat up, fanning dust from his face.

"That was close… ne, Lavi-" But Lavi didn't respond. He was still down, tightly clutching his left leg. Allen gasped.

"Oh-no, Lavi! Lavi, are you okay?!" He knelt by his friend, panicking. "Lavi, let me see it…"

"It's…nothing, really…" But when Allen pulled his friend's fingers out of the way, he saw otherwise. A piece of metal from who-knows-what was pierced through the lower part of his leg, bleeding only slightly. Allen's hands shook.

"Oh… Lavi…"

Allen was starting to cry, but Lavi tried his best to stay calm and examined around the wound. He'd learned a few medicinal tricks from Bookman, so he was able to determine that a vital artery hadn't been hit or cut, with mild certainty. It hurt like hell, but there were akuma about and he couldn't be caught sitting around.

"Allen, I need you to pull it out."

"! Wh-what?"

"Please… I'll be okay, but I don't want thing sticking out of me like this." He didn't like the idea, but given no other choice, he softly gripped the metal and tugged. It didn't come out on the first try, and the way Lavi grunted worried Allen. He quietly apologized and gave it another quick tug, pulling it out. Lavi couldn't suppress his yell, clawing at the ground for a moment until the wave of pain passed. Allen tried to lightly cover the wound, staining his gloves with blood… The sight of blood, even his own, was making him feel sick, so he sat upright, pulled his headband off and used it to wrap up his leg. It wasn't the best bandage, but the only thing he could think of at the time. Allen still looked scared for him, though. Scared…for HIM… Sitting up, Lavi set his hands on Allen's shoulders.

"! Lavi…"

"I'm okay, Allen… you did good! Thank you!" He offered a smile, which seemed to calm him down slightly, before his eyes widened, alerted by the return of akuma.

"It's close…"

"Can you tell how many?"

"A few. I think there's just one above level one, but it's still so fast…" Nearby, people were screaming again, the sound hurting Lavi's ears terribly.

"Allen, help me up. We gotta help them."

"Right."

Allen took his arm and helped him stand. Lavi seemed unstable for a moment, but soon he was walking on his own, then slowly running with him towards the screams.


	5. Chapter 5

Running with an injured leg is hard, but Lavi wouldn't admit that aloud, for fear of worrying Allen. He may have been in pain, but he could still accomplish the mission, and he could still protect Allen. He swore to that… Lavi followed behind Allen and pushed through the pain as they made their way to the main street where a massacre was occurring. The sight of it sent chills down their spines. Many bodies littered the ground, quickly being consumed by the akuma's virus, some more were running from two first-level demons, and the rest… were fighting amongst each other. What didn't make sense was that the akuma weren't going after those fighting, and settled for chasing the scared villagers off, picking them off one by one. The sights and sounds made Allen's blood run cold, his face paling ever so slightly. He'd never seen something to horrible before, and honestly, he wasn't sure he could handle it.

This scene, to the other, however, wasn't that uncommon. Having born witness to many a battle, he'd seen sane men tear each other apart over a scrap of bread. But now wasn't the time to be caught staring. Lavi set a hand on Allen's shoulder, causing the boy to jump and whip his head in his direction. His lip quivered, about ready to cry.

"Allen… I know it's hard to see, but we need to help those people!"

"H-hai…" Looking back at the fleeing villagers, he started running again. The akuma laughed gleefully amidst all the chaos.

"Wonderful… wonderful carnage!"

"Not for long!"

The akuma looked back behind him just in time to see the hammer flying into his face. It yelled out and exploded. Down below, Allen guarded the citizens with his arm, preventing debris from falling on them. When another akuma came up behind him, he turned on his heel, anti-akuma weapon changing, and fired shots at it, taking it down right away. Having a weapon that could change at the drop of a hat sure was useful. But their display was obviously shocking to those they were trying to save, and they fled from them, shouting "monster!" again and again. It hurt… it really did, but even if he wasn't thanked or understood, it made it worthwhile just to save who he could. Lavi reappeared by his side, having taken care of the remaining low-levels, only to point out a major problem still remaining.

"We're not done here yet, Allen."

Corpses littered the ground and blood sprayed everywhere as one more group was left standing, battling each other. Their screams ripped through the air, but they weren't screams of anger, they were of fear. Lavi observed this carefully, as only a Bookman Jr. could, but Allen was running their way.

"Allen!"

"Stop! Stop it, please! You're killing each other!" The ones fighting acted as though they didn't hear him and kept on slashing and hacking at each other.

"Stop!" But Lavi caught him by the shoulder, stopping him from getting any closer.

"Allen, don't. Something isn't right about this… It's like they don't know we're here!"

"What…?"

Both looked back up in horror as one of the villagers swung a sharpened ax, cutting through the other man's arm. He screamed, again, in that scared way, as opposed to one out of pain, and brought his own ax up, slicing right into the other's side. Even after being so wounded, they continued to battle for several more minutes, until their broken bodies could no longer support them. Allen had to turn his head away from the bloody mess, but Lavi knew better… he said a prayer for them, and all the others who died that day, and knew that was just another battle that wouldn't leave him. His eye that does not see would record it and play it back several times over the course of his existence. Allen sobbed.

"Why… why did this have to happen? What's going on?!" Tears fell down those soft, pale cheeks as he mourned for the dead. The sounds were cutting through Lavi, and he turned, bringing Allen to him tightly, trying to ease his pain and silence the noises of sorrow. Allen clung to his shirt, hurting so much on the inside, but the pain promised to only get worse as an akuma got near, forcing the boys to part.

"Can you see it, Allen?"

"It's running…"

"Then we should follow. If it escapes, we may never catch it!"

"Right! Lets go!"

Once again, Lavi had to suppress his pain as they ran. The akuma led them around the town, going in circles before shifting its course and heading out of the town, altogether. Just east of the town was a dense grove, overgrown, unkempt, and dark like a rainforest. The boys tried to stick together, but with the narrow paths, it was becoming difficult. Suddenly, Allen stopped. Lavi almost slid into him, gasping for air.

"What is it, Allen?"

"It's here.." He looked around the small clearing, but for some reason, he couldn't see it. "Somehow, it's hiding from me…"

"Ch. Like a coward."

"Guess again!"

"Eh?!" The ground was shaking under them, dry dirt cracking and roots snapping. Both of them jumped up just in time to avoid the akuma as it leapt up from under them. It was silver and long like a serpent, wilding swinging its tail. The exorcists landed on either side of it, preparing their weapons. The akuma didn't look afraid. In fact, it looked delighted to be facing them.

"This will be fun…" using its tail, the akuma kicked up a lot of dust, preventing them from seeing it. At least with normal eyes.

"Lavi! It's at your 2 o' clock! Hit it!"

"What?!"

"Got it, Allen! Hammer, grow, grow!" The anti-akuma weapon grew and Lavi pulled it back. The akuma tried to avoid the blow, but couldn't, and it was knocked out of the barrier of sand. It grunted as it hit the ground, a large crack in its silver armor.

"H-how… how did he know where I was?" It was then that it noticed Allen's unusual scar and how his eye glowed. It wasn't that difficult to tell what was going on. Getting back to its feet, it cackled darkly, making Lavi glare.

"Oh, I see now… you can see me even if I'm hiding, huh?"

"That's right. I can sense where you are."

"Well, that's some eye… lets see what happens when we take it out of the picture!" The akuma swung its tail again and the boys avoided it, thinking it was trying to attack, but no… when Allen wasn't looking, it snuck up behind him and a strange, hot liquid shot out of its mouth, directly into his eyes. Allen screamed, the substance burning and stinging. Lavi gasped, having not expected that, and ran to his friend's aid. He swung his hammer, but the akuma dodged, disappearing into the dark overgrowth.

"Damn…! Allen, are you okay?" He turned to see Allen practically clawing at his eyes, whining. Lavi set his hammer down and held his shoulders, trying not to panic.

"Allen. Allen, stop it! Let me see!" He managed to pry the boy's fingers away from his face long enough to get a decent look. All around Allen's eyes was red and irritated, but since nothing was physically burning or bubbling, he figured it wasn't permanently damaging.

"It's okay… It's just an irritant! Your vision will recover…"

"Th-that's good…" Allen was in pain, his hands shaking as Lavi held them. This just got harder, he thought to himself. With Allen unable to tell exactly where the akuma was, their advantage was more or less lost. Aside from that, Allen had the tendency to get anxious when he couldn't see the akuma.

"Aw… that must be painful, you little runt! Well don't worry, I have more in store for the two of you!"

"Damn…" Lavi growled. It was just toying with them.

"L-Lavi… it's okay…" Trying to calm down, Lavi looked back at him. he opened his right eye.

"Can you see?"

"Not well… and my left eye really hurts."

"Don't worry. We'll get this thing quick and go back to town. We can treat you there."

Allen nodded and stood up, looking around. Even without the use of his left eye, he tried to find the demon. The fact that its laughing echoed made it all the more difficult. Still, he concentrated. The akuma could sense his resolve and his struggling and decided to use it. She would ensnare them for sure.

"What's the matter, boy? Does your eye hurt? Can't find me now?"

"We will! I guarantee you that!"

"Oh? Well, since you're being such good sports, why don't I just show you where I am…?" it laughed again and its eyes glowed a dark color. More dust flew about, causing the exorcists to cover their eyes. When the dust settled, however, Allen was alone, face to face with the akuma. He gasped and leapt back.

"Lavi, it's here!" He attacked it, but it evaded. He tried again, but each time he attacked, it would evade or block him; aside from that, he couldn't see Lavi. They had been right next to each other up until the dust came up, but now, he couldn't see him. He could hear him, but where…?

"Allen, he's a tough one!" Lavi evaded attack after attack, his own moves not making contact. In the brief moments he had to catch his breath, he searched the area for Allen. He wouldn't blame him if he fled to hide until he could see, but he could have told him.

"Lavi?!" he heard Allen yell, but the boy was nowhere in sight.

"Allen, where are you?" At this, the akuma laughed. This really irritated Lavi, and he swung his hammer, making contact. The feel of it was…different than before, though.

"Agh!" Allen took a hit and fell to the ground, his back hurting. With the demon's claws so sharp, he expected to be torn to shreds, but there wasn't a cut on him or his coat. Finally, his eye started to react. What he saw in place of the akuma, however, was…

"L-Lavi…?" Lavi was swinging his hammer about, preparing another blow. It suddenly made sense. The villagers didn't attack each other for no reason, they thought they were fighting off an enemy! De-activating his arm, he took a step back.

"Lavi, stop! It's not what we think it is!"

"Don't be scared, Allen! I'll get him!" He wasn't listening… Somehow, Allen had to make him understand! It was then that the akuma peeked out from behind Lavi, raising its claws. Allen gasped and ran towards his friend. Lavi didn't know what was going on and he would get hurt if he couldn't do this, but Lavi saw him as an enemy ready to attack… Still, he ran towards him, pushing him out of the way of the blow. He held onto Lavi's shoulders, looking back as the akuma disappeared once more into the trees.

"Got you…" It said. Allen didn't understand, but in the next moment, pain flooded his senses as something sharp jabbed into his stomach. His hands shook as they rested on Lavi's shoulders and blood started to drip from his mouth. He hurt, and yet his body was numb. Looking down, he saw why he was hurting—the tip of Lavi's hammer… Allen coughed, getting a few drops of his blood onto his friend's face. He'd never been stabbed like that before, and alredy, he could feel the heat draining from his body. No, no, no, he thought to himself, I wont become one of those poor souls, killing each other…! Raising one hand, he touched Lavi's cheek.

"La..vi…"

Something about the name his name was spoken sent a chill down Lavi's spine. Here he was, face to face with the akuma, and yet Allen's voice was coming in loud and clear. The akuma touched his cheek, but what he felt was different, like a small, shaking hand. the demon's laughter echoed, seeming to be getting further and further away, and that's when it hit him. this wasn't real. The illusion was already fading away, and for a moment, Lavi thought he was dreaming. Here he was, standing in front of Allen, whose expression was wide and his voice pained. His leg hurt, his heart was beating quickly, and his hands felt heavy. He feared what he would see if he looked down, but he already knew. He could hear Allen's blood dripping and almost hear it as his heart slowed.

Lavi's words caught in his throat. What could he say? He swore he would prevent this very thing from happening, and yet it happened all the same. Allen was dying…

"A…Allen….I…"

"La..vi…" His head was falling low, body becoming heavy, impaling him deeper onto the hammer's edge. He was fading, fading, fade…

"Allen!!!"


	6. Chapter 6

Allen's body never seemed so heavy as Lavi tried to support him, to take the weight off. He called Allen's name several times but he wouldn't answer. Again and again he tried, the last time with tears in his eyes. The first response he got, however, was the boy hacking blood. It was getting everywhere, staining them both.

"A-Allen, get a hold of yourself… hey! Talk to me!" Finally, a voice.

"La…vi… it..it hurts…"

"I know… Oh, god, Allen, I'm sorry…! I'm so sorry!" Despite the pain, Allen shook his head, clutching Lavi's coat slightly. It was all the movement he could manage.

"It…we were tricked… I'm sorry I couldn't…tell you sooner…"

There was nothing more painful than hearing those words. Lavi may have just killed him, and yet he was apologizing, himself! No, it wasn't right… Wait, Allen was shifting. Shakily, Lavi held him still.

"No, Allen, it's still inside! If you move, you could make it worse!"

"It nee…needs to come out…" Lavi hesitated.

"If I pull it out, you could bleed to death…Allen…"

Holding him up like that was only straining them both, so gently as he could, Lavi lowered him, still on his hammer, to the ground. Allen's breathing was rough and strained, sweat dripping from his brow and blood still leaking from his mouth. If they just stayed there, Allen would definitely, die, but if he could get him back to the town in time, there was a slim chance… no, a VERY slim chance that he could live. For one, Lavi wasn't ready to give up hope. With the akuma gone, he could help Allen without interruption. Slowly, he removed his scarf, setting it on the ground next to him before grasping the handle to his hammer. Allen was looking at him, watching him, but color was fading from his cheeks. He had to do this…

"Allen, don't die…"

Lavi held onto Allen's hand, feeling him grip it weakly and took in a shuddering breath—he tugged. Allen couldn't suppress the yell as the edge was taken out of him, blood immediately starting to pool around the wound, staining his coat. Hearing it, Lavi winced, but he didn't have time to be shocked. He wasted no time in opening Allen's coat and tightly wrapping the wound with his scarf. Allen was in pain, terrible pain, making it all harder. Once he was sure the bandage would hold, more or less, he hauled Allen up onto his back and ran.

He didn't care if tree branches caught on his face, arms, or if his leg was killing him, he just knew he had to get back to the town. It seemed like an impossible stretch of trees, like a maze instead of a straight path; Lavi thought it would never end. But light finally shone at the end of the long stretch and he quickened his pace, breaking out of the brush. He almost tripped, but with such precious cargo, cargo that was panting in short bursts onto his neck, he couldn't let himself be stalled in any way. Biting his lip, he kept on running.

The town was deathly silent, corpses still littered about the bloody roads, but nothing mattered but Allen. He'd seen the hospital on the way in and bolted for it, kicking open the doors as he entered and set Allen down on a soft bed. The boy moaned, too weak to do anything else. Lavi didn't want to leave him alone, but he needed to find a doctor. He patted his friend's shoulder softly and ran again.

"Hey, we need a doctor!" Lavi yelled again and again, bursting into every room he came to. But the whole building, no, the entire town had been completely evacuated.

"Oi, isn't there anyone here?!" There was nobody, no one there to help them… He finally panicked. Holding his head, he let himself yell. Allen was dying, and there was nobody! Nobody- …Cursing his luck, Lavi took off and located a store room. Damn them! If the doctor wasn't there, he'd have to save Allen, himself! No matter what, he refused to let him die, especially by his own hand. He grabbed bandages, a scalpel, stitching materials and various disinfectants. He'd seen Bookman operate on a few critical cases, so he could manage this, right? He was about to leave but decided to grab one more thing, just in case. When he got back to the room, Allen was trying to curl up onto his side, his blood already having soaked the sheets deep red. Lavi ran to his side and helped him back onto his back. His skin was getting cold…

"L-Lavi…" His voice was so weak and soft, filled with pain and sadness. He didn't want Lavi to feel guilty, he was sure. His body shook. He was getting worse…

"Allen…" Lavi hugged his head softly, careful not to move him too much.

"Allen, I'm sorry… B-but I wont give up. I'll help you. But I need you to stay with me. Don't' give up, you hear?" He waited a moment before feeling a weak nod before pulling back.

He didn't want to scare Allen, but he had to restrain him and proceeded in strapping his wrists and ankles to the bed. Operating on a sedated patient was hard enough, but Allen couldn't be sedated and having to operate on someone in pain and moving about was even more difficult. He made sure the restraints were good and tight before putting on a pair of gloves and moving to the problem. He slowly peeled away his, by now, stained and sticky scarf so he could get a look at the wound. Dabbing cloth after clot, he was finally able to see it, it wasn't a long wound, but it looked deep.

"Sorry, Allen…" The boy shouted out as Lavi stuck a finger inside the wound, then another, trying to feel for internal injuries. Allen was screaming, trying to thrash about, making it hard for Lavi to concentrate on his task. He pinned Allen's chest down and continued his search, trying to be quick but needing to be thorough. He found a tear in one of the organs. That wasn't good… Taking a breath to calm himself, he removed his fingers and picked up a small tool. Stopping, he decided to get a cloth and rolled it up, holding it out.

"Allen, bite this…" Reluctantly, he opened his mouth and softly bit into the towel. This was really going to hurt… Moving back to the wound, Lavi carefully parted the opening in the boy's stomach and stuck the metal device in. If Allen hadn't been hurting before, he was now, as the redhead turned it on, beginning to cauterize the internal wound. He bucked up, arms and legs pulling at the restraints. His yells could even be heard through the towel, and Lavi could feel his heart quickening. If it kept going at that rate, it would- Sure enough, Allen's eyes popped wide open, a muffled gasp escaping before his body fell back against the bed, unmoving.

"Allen!" Oh god, oh god, he thought. His heart stopped! He wanted to drop everything and begin reviving him, but he had to finish fixing the wound or he wouldn't make it even if his heart was beating. He tried to hurry, counting each second as it ticked by painfully slow. Finally, feeling around again, he was satisfied in his work and pulled it out. It had already been several minutes, however, and he hadn't the time to stitch him right up. So, taking a risk, he grabbed a sterile towel and stuck it inside the wound. It was a crude thing, soaking up extra blood, but it would have to do.

Without even stopping to breathe, himself, Lavi began chest compressions. He tried to be careful- ribs were rather easy to break- and pushed down 2, 3, 4, 5. Lavi took in a deep breath, tilted Allen's head back and blew. It was shaky, but all he could manage. He pressed down on his chest again, counting, then a breath, more compressions. He was trying his very best, but it wasn't working! At this rate, if Lavi couldn't get him breathing again, he…

"Allen, no… damn it, I said live! Don't you date give up on me, Moyashi! Come on!!" Again he tried and tried… until the faintest of breath was returned. Putting an ear to the boy's chest, he heard the beating. It was weak… but there. The question, though, was this:

Had he made it in time?


	7. Chapter 7

When Lavi called the order to report on the case, Komui was horrified. Lavi told him the villagers had been manipulated by illusions, tricked into killing each other. The akuma had gotten away, but probably wasn't that far away. He almost choked when he announced, also, that Allen had been gravely wounded. Komui understood and thanked Lavi for a good job. His orders were to return to the order as soon as Allen was stable enough to be moved.

"Anou, Komui-san…"

"Mm? Yes?"

"Is…Bookman there with you?" Komui turned his head, the elder, indeed, sitting there nearby. Without answering, he handed the phone over.

"Lavi."

"Ji ji… I…I did what I could, but…"

"I understand. I'm sure you did just fine."

"…How can you tell?"

"Mm?"

"If… he'll be okay. If I made it in time. If…his mind is still alive in there…?" His voice was low, sad, guilt-ridden. This did not go unnoticed. Despite wanting to give his successor some form of comfort, he only had one answer.

"Time will tell." And he hung up.

Lavi stood there holding the phone to his ear for a long time before the aching in his arm and from the wound in his leg urged him to set it back down. Glancing to the right at the motionless boy's body, his chest shakily moving up and down, Lavi could only worry. Nothing had gone the way they had planned, but at some point, Lavi had forgotten that that was how fate was, most of the time. Lacklusterly, he moved to Allen's side and checked his vitals. He was still alive, or his body was, at least. The IV dripped fluids, antibiotics and blood into his body- the blood was almost drained, and looking at his own, arm, Lavi wondered if he would need to draw even more for him. He had already filled two small bags and was uneasy on his feet. Or, maybe it wasn't from the blood loss, but the worry; the fear…that his friend would never wake up; that he would have to live out the rest of his life knowing he killed one of the only friends he'd ever had. Softly, Lavi stroked Allen's cheek- still pale, but soft and warm- silently willing him to open his eyes. He didn't, of course, and Lavi hadn't really expected him to. With a sigh, Lavi turned away from him and sauntered outside. He just missed the slight movement of Allen's hand.

An hour passed by like an eternity and Lavi spent the whole time sitting out on the front steps of the hospital. He knew the akuma wouldn't just let two tasty targets like them get away. It would most surely be back, and soon, since Allen was unable to defend himself. Already, though, it had been two days, and honestly, 4 since he'd been able to sleep. He was hurting, inside and out, and there was only so much longer he could stand to wait. Hanging his head, hands supporting it, he let a few tears drop.

"Allen… I'm so sorry… Please wake up… I need you to tell me it'll be okay…!"

"It..will be okay, Lavi."

The redhead gasped, thinking for a moment that he was hallucinating. Lifting his head and turning it ever so slightly, he caught the sight of Allen standing in the doorway, heavily supported by a crutch. He was alive, moving, blinking, speaking… he wasn't braindead! Jumping up, Lavi ran to his side. At first, Allen thought Lavi would scold him for getting up out of bed so soon, or call him a baka like Kanda would, but instead of a lecture, he was pulled into a firm, warm embrace. It was shocking, but not unwelcome. He'd scared Lavi terribly, according to the sobs erupting from the other boy, and softly, Allen wrapped his arms around him in return.

"A-Allen…" he sobbed, voice full of relief and sorrow.

"Baka… I don't go down so easy, you know." Sniffling, Lavi nodded against his shoulder. They continued to hold each other for a while before Allen said it was difficult to stand. Understanding, Lavi led him to the step he'd been on for days and helped him sit. Allen let out a shaky breath, pain still evident. Now it was time for a lecture.

"Moyashi no baka! Moving around with a hole in your stomach, what were you thinking? You're not Yu-chan, you know!"

"Ahahaha… I know! Sorry! I just got the urge to move!" Lavi pouted for a moment before a smile broke through.

"I guess I can forgive you this time." Allen retuned the smile, but the sudden quiet made him remember what had happened and he looked around.

"It's so quiet now… where is everyone?"

"Gone. Long gone. They all evacuated before I carried you back."

"I see… And the akuma…" Lavi shook his head.

The two waited another day, giving them both the chance to recover a bit more before wandering the town together. It really was empty. Allen's stomach growled halfway through the walk and Lavi could feel it rumbling, himself, having to hold him so close for support. The two stopped at a restaurant and managed to find a few things to eat. Slowly but surely, Allen was getting his appetite back, and Lavi thought they were in the clear… until Allen sudden dropped his food.

Lavi cursed his awful luck as he saw Allen's eye change. The akuma was back… but this time, they didn't even have to lift a finger. Right away, the sounds of battle filled the air,e ven before the two made it to the door. Lavi pushed it open softly just in time to see the akuma from before yell and explode. Allen covered his face until the dust cleared, and what he saw brought the biggest smile to his face.

"Lenalee! Crowly!"

"Oi, Ji ji!" Lavi waved. Allen couldn't have mnaged so much then, anyway. Overjoyed at seeing them okay, and at the same time, worried for their well-being, the group made their way over. Lenalee immediately hugged Allen, crying. He patted her back softly, cooing her. The scene was sweet, even when Crowly started bawling and hugged them a little too hard in an overzealous manner. Lavi stayed out of it for the moment, but then looked down as he felt a tug on his sleeve. Bookman was…actually smiling at him.

"Ji…ji?"

"You did good, Lavi. You did good."

What was that feeling? Like a weight was being lifted off his shoulders, like pain being relieved… His body relaxed, the muscles that has been tense for so long ached, but in a way that just felt so good. What was that feeling…? Ah… that's right. Relief. Peace… He hoped, amongst all the painful thing his eye recorded, that this one moment, this relief, would also be saved. He wanted to hold onto it, lean against it like a firm pillar, in times when there was pain. Allen… was a pillar.


End file.
